It has been quite a
while since Greta O'Leary released her debut single, Outnumbered, but now she is
back with the follow-up which is a precursor for an EP which is hopefully not
too far in the distant future. What we have here is a solid case of
alt-folk/dream pop which is full of passion, pain, angst and so much more. Her
vocals switch between high and clear to low and almost offkey, so at times it
feels naïve and wistful yet at others it is a voice which has lived and
suffered. This year has seen me discovering more artists in a similar fashion,
and there are definite similarities between what she is doing and Jazmine Mary,
while there are also some moments of the likes of French For Rabbits as the song
takes on dramatic turns.
The arrangement is very clever indeed, with a picked acoustic at the heart of it, yet we also get additional instruments when it makes sense, with gentle piano, percussion, bass and a very effective cello. There is a great deal of space, and the voice seems to move between the instruments, taking us on a journey. This is a song which needs to be paid on headphones and for the listener to pay close attention as it is then that the most can be gained. Here is a young artist with plenty of promise and for those into this style of music this is something to savour, while the EP cannot come soon enough.
Greta is a Poneke-based songwriter and musician whose spacious and pervasive sound is laced with dark humour and relatable insight, creating gentle-yet-poignant offerings that bend the folk genre to her own plain, an unmistakably rare sound that is unique to her.
Coming of age during a few nomadic years hitching around the globe, her lifelong love of music was ignited through the folk scenes of Australia and beyond. "Writing and feeling is truly all that has ever made sense to me", she says, a fact that is unmistakable after receiving NZoA funding, a debut video that has already amassed over 140,000 views, and mentorships from the inimitable Liz Stokes (The Beths), Sonny Southon and Frances Dickenson
Her EP is due for release on all platforms on November 25th.